The present invention is directed toward a golf ball and club cleaner and more particularly, toward a cleaning device that is compact and portable.
Golf balls and golf clubs, during the course of play, often become dirty with mud, dirt, grass, and the like and thereby, interfere with a golfer""s game. For example, the dirt may accumulate on a ball and affect how the ball rolls, especially when putting. Also, the ball may become difficult to find in a sand trap or in the rough. Similarly, dirt that accumulates on the head of a golf club can affect how far and/or how accurately the ball will travel.
Golfers may clean their equipment by wiping the club or ball with a rag or their hands, by scraping the ball or club along the vegetation found along the course, or by using any body of water found along the course. Obviously, these are rather crude and ineffective methods for keeping one""s equipment clean and in good working condition.
The problem of dirty golf balls and clubs has been addressed and solutions provided by golf course owners. For example, many golf courses provide facilities where golf balls may be cleaned. These facilities generally include containers housing a cleaning solution and/or brushes by which the balls may be cleaned.
However, these cleaning areas may not be conveniently located or may not coincide with a golfer""s need. Furthermore, such areas may not be maintained well. That is, the cleaning solution may not be changed as often as needed, thereby defeating the purpose of the cleaner. Also, the cleaning solution may be completely absent from the container.
Various prior patents have also addressed the problems inherent with playing with dirty golf clubs and balls and suggest various devices and methods for cleaning golf balls and clubs during the course of play or otherwise. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,952 to Parchment et al. discloses a cleaning apparatus for golf clubs that includes a tub for holding a cleaning solution and brushes within the tub for removing dirt from the head of a golf club when the club is inserted into the tub. The tub may be carried around with the golfer or mounted on a golf cart.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,596 to Chang et al. discloses a golf ball and golf club scrubber that includes a container with a lid and bristles or brushes that line the interior of the chamber. The chamber may house a cleaning solution. In order to use the device, a golf ball holder is inserted into the container where the bristles contact and clean the ball. The container may be attached to a golf bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,906 to Mauro discloses a golf ball and club head cleaner that includes a housing with a section to clean golf club heads that includes brushes and a cleaning solution contained therein. The head of the golf club is inserted into the housing so that the brushes clean the head. The housing also has a section in which a holder for a golf ball is inserted so that the brushes and a cleaning solution may clean the ball.
All of the patents discussed above, however, are rather large and bulky and are not easily transported along the course while the golfer is playing a game. U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,761 to Meyer discloses a portable golf ball and club head cleaner that includes a housing within which a cleaning solution and brushes may be contained and a retainer for holding a ball within the housing in order to clean the same. The housing may be attached to a golf bag. This patent, however, appears to have an awkward shape thereby causing transport of the device to be inconvenient.
Thus, a need exists for a compact, portable golf ball and club cleaning device which is easy and convenient to transport and use.
The present invention is designed to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf ball and club cleaner that is compact and portable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a golf ball and club cleaning device that is easy and convenient to use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a golf ball and club cleaner that may be releasably attached to other golf equipment.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiments demonstrating features and advantages of the present invention, there is provided a portable golf ball and club cleaning device that includes an elongated housing having sidewalls forming a chamber therein and a lid hingedly connected to the housing. The chamber is adapted to hold a cleaning medium. A plurality of brushes extend inwardly into the chamber from the sidewalls. An opening is formed between the brushes through which a golf club is adapted to fit. Means for holding a golf ball is releasably attached to the interior surface of the lid. The ball holding means includes an elongated panel member with a hole and cut-out portions located adjacent thereto. The cut-out portions form a living hinge. The ball is inserted into the hole and cut-out portions and is held therein. In order to clean a ball, the panel member is removed from the lid. A ball is inserted through the hole and cut-out portions and is placed into the opening of the housing so that the ball contacts the cleaning medium. The means for attaching the elongated panel member to the interior surface of the lid includes a protrusion extending outwardly from the lid and an aperture formed on the panel member wherein the protrusion fits within the aperture. The device also includes means for securing the housing to a golf bag or other golf equipment.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings.